Franking-machine.



mvENToRs. FREDEMCK AUGUST 55cm-R mi ARTHUR PAUL Patend July 30, 1912.

4 SHBETS-SHEET 3.

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:CHER WVM J ATTORNEY.

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QW Ww UNITED STATES PALFEN'I OFFICE.

FREDERICK AUGUST FISCHER AND ARTHUR PAUL FISCHER, 0F NAPIEE, NEW

ZEALAND.

FRANKING-MACHINE Specification of Letters Patent.

rat-enten Ju1y3o,1e1iz.

Application tiled August 31, IMD. Serial No. 579,928.

,To all whom 'it may concern:

Be it known that we` Fnnnnmeit AUGUST Fisco-nu and Au'rnun Pam, Flseueu, subjects of the Kingr of Great Britain, residing at Nalpier, in the Dominion of New Zealand, lave invented a new and'useful Improved Franking-Maehine; and we do hereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the same.

This invention relates to that class of franking machine for impressing letters, telegrams and the like, with stamps representing ditferent values for postage, stamp duty or like purposes, in which stamp dies are caused Vto descend upon the artiele to hc stamped, and in which the aggregate values of such impress/ions 'are recorded or indicated.

The invention consists in improvements in the'construetion and manne/vof operating such dies, in the use of speeial means whereby any fraudulent use of the stamp without aetuating the reeordinr mechanism, is rendered impossible, and also in other details of construction that will he hereinafter more fully referred to.

The means devised for carrying out the invention consist in mounting each stamp die upon the end of a lpivoted arm whit-1 is eaused to descend upon an impression hloek arranged to reeeive the die and impress its stamp upon a paper plaeed upon the bloelc. 'l'liese dies are adapted to he actuated independently ot eaeh other liv means of suitably arranged levers or rods and in their movements to aetuate a counting or recording mel'luuisru oi" any ordinary eonstruetiou to ret-ord the total value ot' the stamps impressed hy the machine.

The maehine comprises means whereby the stamp dies may he inked, means Wherehy any reverse movement ot' the stamp le vers is revented as they are caused to move up ant down, means for preventing the fraudulent use of the stamps to obtain more than one impression at each downward movement thereof and other details in fonstruction that will he hereinafter more fully deserihed.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, in whiche- Figure l 1s a front elevation of the machine. Fig. 2 is a lan thereof. Fig. 3 is a front elevation o? one of the stamps of the maehine and the appliances for operat ing it. Fig. 4 is a plan thereof. Fig. v5 is a left hand side elevation of one of the stamps and the mechanismdevised for acmating;r it. Fig. is a righ't hand side ele,- vation thereof. Fig. 7 is a detail view of one of the stamp levers and wi the means for operating it. Fig. 8 is a plan of the means employed for preventingr more than one stamp being used at the one time, or for locking all of the stamps against heiner used.

In earrying out the invention each stamp die l is carried in the end of a lever bar 2 that is articulated at its other end to s. vertieal trame plate 3 secured to a hase plate 4. The lever is so disposed that when turned on its pivot pin 5 the stamp l will be caused to strike with its die faee upon the top of a resilient cushioned stamping block G secured upon the hase plate 4. For thus operating the stamp lever a plunger rod. 7 is provided and motmted vertically in sliding guides upon the side of the frame plate 3 so as to he eapahle of sliding up4 and down therein, being normally retained in its raised position h v means of the sprin 8. The plunger rod is formed with a rac 9 in one of its edges the teeth of which are adapted to gear with the teeth of a pinion wheel l0 mounted on the ivot. pin 5 and adapted to engage with tie stamp lever, when the rod is moved down and up. These movements of the rod are thus adapted t0 eause the stamp lever to he turned down to engage with the stamping block, and to turn upward under the influence of the spring 8 when the rod is released from the downward pressure thereon. A spring ll is also provided for assisting the upward ,move ment of the stamp lever. Theronnection ot the pinion l0 with the stamp lever is mede of sueh a nature as to permit.l of a limited amount of free movement to each so as thus to provide for any jar of the die on the stamping hloek heine,` prevented. This is effected by forming.y a short slot- 10'* in the pinion which slot rides over a pin 2 project-ing from the adjacent face of the lever. The pin is kept normally inthe forward end of the slot by means of the spring l0", attached to the pinion. When the die hits the stamping block the lever and down movements the pin will travel on 1 irre :video of the har and thus will pre- .uf nt the, plate heiner moved across under the action of spring until the limitsr of the travel :ire Iilhe/d.` i i' Theimeansemployed 'for Apreventing impressioiw being obtained 'onf two or more" paper lheels-,from .the Aone'movement" of the slamp `lever'lry the use of carbon 'papen'or other duplicatingr meansfplaccd between the.` Sheets,- withiont indicatingthatsneli has been done. are shown in Fig. These means consist of .anarin 32 pivoted ylo the framel plateS and adapted to (lescex'id acrolsefthe Stan'iping hl'oolc (3 `under "the infll'ience ofa springy 33 rroxmef'fled with a tail piece 34 thereon. 'This arnncarries a plate 35 the edge of.whieh engages with the stamping hlnclc. :The .arinf is k'ept. raised when theV plnnfrerrodf ia :wits raised position'and retained flip neansof 'a pin'or anintifricrtion :roller .Milon the hot-tom` of the `rod graaien" against the'itail' 34."..Thi`lslpintf`1 poailionex-l ftfhat'gthe V'arm will be rele immediately the rod starts toA move down-lv;

wardv so; tlnitvitsrifrter lend "andthe edge the platezii' will. ,eti'ilfe aero# the pape," on the .stamping hloek sullieiently"'l` i ninle an ii'npi; 4szionH a'crfwsitlioffai f falirv pa persl :irra niied heneatlrthef'top paper-3' .Wil ll?" dnplicating' moans between. 'l`hc arnl in then innncdialcly raised again hy/the engagement of the pin or roller il? he rod with thel upper aide, oll the taif` plceepzis the rofl inox-cs down so that il, will lm moved ont \\'a oll the descendingr stamp die. lt i rrlained in the raised pmilion hv means ol' a llal spring 51S enga/ing with a knoh on the side ol' the. arm and held hy nell Spring' until the, rod reaches the upward limit. of its travel when iin: aprinif will he iorced ont of contact with il h v the inclined sind lf) on the r=l enla-aging henralh the Awiring` and the arm then retained in the raised position h v die engaQenn-nl. of the lHin ft? with lln` tail nl' the roda and the' piece In the manner liel'ori degqirihed.

\.n v approved Inl-nn.`y niav lic devised for -ingl the plonger rods in the manner .l'e cf-ilicd. ln the iraifiziifa4 cach rod is .shown as extendingliovond the top of thc easingfltl in nliirh tl|(,ina1l|ani.\-|n is' mountr-.d and lainpj provided on its end willi a. linger plate liv nir-ans of which il ma)r lle deprfweil, lidi-@red however the rod may la dmv-:n loWn menor; ol4 a pivoted lever ext enflinff 6nd olY the troni ot' ll-ll easing and Connected al it?, lm cl end Irv linka' or other centi-fictions with the. rod.

,am desired number oi' Hum PS mail lic v=;ni-r\"`o., In the drawing.`l three nre .ahown enfle ol' didi-reni vaine4 which values are indicnted upon/J .'l-e linger plates. ol' thi` rupeeiv'@ mais, Wil-ie glanips ol' more than one value am: ice-:2. thil inlmrg pad ol' cai-h nlav i-.inped ith an :nl: ol' :i iiil'eri-nt color to work in conjunction with. an'inking 'ribbon Vcaused to pass, acrossrv above the stamping block so as to. transmit an impression to the article placed upon the block'.

The nieansjor lockingthe plunger rods from being' .depressed orrk for one tolie depressed at the one time as Shown in Sir-.onsist ofe..nnmher of vertical" plates 41l arranged kon tlieirfcdges end to end within a frame-*42...l These platesV are f a'r tivo platesreoincidewith-one of theplunger A,the'platea l .sufficient onlyvztog.per-Init of a n ati-,salite inclined; oth'atnvhtnmpl im@ f 1, rod ie li-.pressed its V shaped hlocki'wiwllv he wedge o; ien nig. stints provideflanil wetlie plates apart*wliileelo K elpopenings' againsbtihir adlii'l's'ion of vids;t lf 4.a' l l tliefr'ids y tin-folli the; .lotlea of the other i y,a re 't o. he 4-t ln is.

locked. from move-,mont ra rate lilocl( may ho. insertedBetween? one of the cndpla thn jammed into the closed position. l

'lhe casing 4t) will lic provided willi an opening 45 in its front. of auch a size as to permit of an envelop or paper boing inserted to lie across thc stamping. lilock and if desired, this opening may he rovelcd lay a spring: plate hi ingr and adapted to he lil'ted, lo permit of' the en relop hei'ng inserted in theflnanner required. r

The counting or recording'mwehanisni framcis made .of such a width ythat. it will exi-eed the aggregate length of thoflates are A' les anditlu'i Al'ralnefan'd the otherr Only illlOWlng r ranged -So that thoqad'jaccntf edges ol` each go n ed to the inside of thc cas- 105 y used with the lnachinc mayfdmiolfany of llpf' the known constructions/nml silt-[nas will provide for thel aggregato'values of thc dilf ferent stampa lining recorded.' 'lhis mecha nisln will hc actuated hy ,wearing with the, several plnnger rods of the dill'erent stampa' which will he arranged to-artoate thc rororder in a manner.proportionate` to their respective values. ,f

What we do claim as onr invention, and desire lo secure hy Letters latentl is#- l. ln flanking machines` a `Qtampdie, a pivotcd lever carrying such die., a plunger rod adapted when depressed lo engage with and depress the lever, means for raising the.. rod and lever, a pivoted arm arranged adjaeenl to the plnngr rod, an inking pad upon 4mach arm` a spring for keeping! the. pad in engafeinerlt with the stamp die when the lever is in thc raised position, n f :tension 5 herein specified.

2. In franking machines, a stamp die,` a.

pivoted lever carrying such die, a plunger rod adapted when depressed to engage with and depress the lever, means for raising the rod andlever, a pivoted arm arranged adjacent to the plunger rod,-an inking pad ar.- ranged to rotate on such arm, a spring for 'keeping the pad in engagement with the stamp die when the lever lis in the raised posit-ion, an extensionupon the arm, agde'- pression in the plunger rod adapted toengage with such extension and tollft the arm on its pivot vwhen the lungerfrod is ,depressed, a ratchet wheel tothe backdd' the` inking pad .and-a ,fixed spring adapted to be engaged -by such ratchet wheel when .thearm isy raised, substantially as specified.- y o,

3. In franking machines, a stamp die, a

pivoted` lever carrying such die, a stampi block adapted to be en aged by 'the face 'gl the die', a plunger rod)7 adaptcd'to engage I with and depress the lever, means for returning the rod and lever to the raised position, a ratchet wheel and pawl, a pinion depressed, substantially as 'movement of such rod to be adapted to rotate with the. ratchet wheel and a double rack connected with the plun er rod arranged with its racks on reverse siigles of the pinion and adapted at each limit of rocked v.to cause the respective racks to engage alternately with the inion substantially as and for the purposes erein specified.

4. In franking machines, a sta-mp die, a pivoted lever carrying such die, a plunger rod adapted to engage with and depress the lever, a stamping b ock adapted to be enragedl by the die when depressed, means for actuating the plunger rod, a spring for keep- 'ing it normally in a raised position, a sprin controlled pivoted lever having a plate fixe to its outer end'and adapted on the downward' movement of the lungar rod to strike across the stampin 'b ock and then to be lsed clear thereo substantially as speci# 1h testimony whereof, 'we have sighed this specification in the presence of two subscrib-k ing witn FREDERICK AUGUsT FisCHlizR.l ARTHUR PAUL FISCHER.

Witnesses A. xHUoaun CAMPBELL, A. COLEMAN. 

